Christie approves cops carrying antidote for heroin overdose

MERCER EXECUTIVE HUGHES JOINS ROUNDTABLE WITH GOVERNOR --
Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes meets with Gov. Chris Christie following a press conference June 17, at the Rescue Mission of Trenton to announce the expansion of the pilot program allowing for use of the drug Narcan as an emergency antidote to reverse an opiate overdose. Hughes joined in a round-table discussion with the governor prior to the conference. Christie announced expansion of the use of Narcan to 900 state police officers and local law enforcement in all 21 counties. The pilot program began in April in just two N.J. counties, Monmouth and Ocean. (Contributed photo)

TRENTON — A kinder and gentler Gov. Chris Christie offered more support for recovering drug addicts and equipped every cop in the state with new anti-overdose kits that already have saved 41 lives.

The Big Guy came to Trenton’s Rescue Mission today to speak in hushed tones at a round table with shelter director Mary Gay, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes and three guys staying clean with help from the mission.

Christie told the table he’s moving away locking up non-violent drug offenders and putting more state effort into helping addicts clean up, as well as education to keep young people away from narcotics.

Minutes later, he appeared before more than 100 cops and prosecutors assembled outside to tell them he’s behind law officers having kits with an emergency antidote to prevent heroin overdoses and deaths.

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Heroin is cheap by comparison theses day and the governor didn’t have to go far from the State House shadow to see the ravages of it and other opiates on urban America.

With four former federal colleagues and Mercer’s Joe Bocchini among the county prosecutors in the audience before him, former U.S. Attorney Christie told the assembly they know he’s not soft on crime.

But he wants the police and EMTs to be equipped to save lives, as the antidote named Narcan can do when administered by nose spray to someone about to die from an overdose.

The Narcan pilot program began in April in two Jersey counties, Monmouth and Ocean, where officers have been credited with using the kits to save the lives of 41 overdose victims.